Cakes and pastries generally sold in supermarkets typically have containers effectively covering the entire pastry in order to protect the pastry from contamination and loss of moisture between the time that it is baked and the time that a customer finally purchases the cake. The cake or pastry is typically mounted on a paper or fiber plate as it is prepared, and, just prior to shipment, it is placed in the container, usually a cardboard box. The paper plate supporting the cake readily slides within the container whenever the container is tipped, as it may very well be during shipment and handling of the container. The resulting impact between the cake and the inner edges of the container is often sufficient to distort the shape of the cake, making it less appealing to the consumer, such that it must therefore be sold at a loss or completely discarded. As a result, movement of the cake or pastry within its container is a common occurrence during handling and shipment, and causes a significant loss of profit in food markets.
Plastic cake trays and covers are currently used as containers for cakes. A common disadvantage of current pastry and cake containers is that the means for closing and fastening such containers is usually either elaborate and costly to fabricate or, in less costly versions, can be re-fastened only after a significant amount of manipulation by the consumer. For example, in one fastening scheme typical of the less costly versions, a cover can only be fastened to its tray after it has been turned to a particular rotational position. This requires the user to rotate the cover and to ascertain the correct position for fastening. Therefore, a need exists for a fastening means between pastry trays and covers which require little or no inconvenient manipulation by the user.